


Collectopaedia Zine Entries

by starchitect



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29466240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starchitect/pseuds/starchitect
Summary: Rainbow Zirconia reminded Melia of the auroras in Eryth Sea.~Whenever Fiora sees a Kneecap Rock, she can’t help but smile fondly.~And maybe Confusion Ivy isn’t as much Dunban's friend as he thought it was.[Written for the now canceled Collectopaedia Zine]
Kudos: 5





	1. Rainbow Zirconia

**Author's Note:**

> These little vignettes were originally written for a zine, but due to some complications, the project was unfortunately canceled. And since I still wanted to share my contributions, I decided to post them here. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainbow Zirconia reminded Melia of the auroras in Eryth Sea.

Melia would be lying if she said she wasn’t feeling just a little bit homesick. Countless miles away from Alcamoth, from Eryth Sea, and seemingly stranded on an unfamiliar beach somewhere below the sword of the Mechonis… It’s hard not to. Melia has never ventured outside Eryth Sea with the exception of Makna Forest. Everything she’s seen thus far is completely alien to her.

It wasn’t so hard on Valak Mountain. At some point during their journey, Shulk had given her a white stone that reflects light like a rainbow. He said it was called a Rainbow Zirconia—a fitting name. Whenever Melia would start to miss Alcamoth, she would hold the stone in the light of the ether crystals at night and watch as an array of colors danced across the sky. She liked it. It reminded her of the auroras in Eryth Sea.

But here, there are no auroras. There are no ether crystals that glow under the night sky, either. All that’s here is various pieces of fallen Mechon scrap from Sword Valley, and Melia hates how desolate this place is.

Quietly, so as not to wake Dunban or Riki, she shuffles through her things and fishes the Rainbow Zirconia out. When she holds it against the fire, the rainbow light comes back, but it’s not nearly as spectacular as it had been on Valak Mountain. She tilts it at different angles in an attempt to get more light, but the rainbow reflection remains small and unremarkable. She sighs.

Nothing about this place gives Melia a sense of home. Sword Valley was dead and lifeless, but at least the light from the streams of ether made a pretty show of colors when it hit the Zirconia. There’s nothing like that here.

A wistful glance at the sky reminds her that the nights here are dull. There aren’t any falling stars or beautiful auroras like there are in Eryth Sea. It’s just a bland, star-filled sky.

Melia wishes she could go back home.


	2. Kneecap Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whenever Fiora sees a Kneecap Rock, she can’t help but smile fondly.

Fiora was never a huge fan of rocks, but Kneecap Rocks have always been an exception. They’re not particularly shiny or anything, but they become smooth and golden when polished.

She remembers one time when Reyn and Shulk had ventured into Tephra Cave in search of Shin Geckos so they could keep one as a pet. They came back gecko-less, but what they did find was a handful of rocks. Fiora didn’t really understand why Reyn brought them back until he approached her a few days later with a couple of polished stones that shone a beautiful amber-like color in the sunlight.

They were magical, he told her. They would bring her luck wherever she went. Fiora was so happy to receive such a gift. Her cooking hadn’t been going so well lately, so surely these rocks would help.

Sure enough, the next recipe she made ended up tasting amazing. After that, she started to place all her bets on those Kneecap Rocks and the luck they would bring her. Dunban tried to tell her it was ridiculous to rely on some old cave rocks for success, but she always brushed him off.

It was a couple years later when Fiora realized that the Kneecap Rocks weren’t actually magical at all. They were just regular stones that looked pretty when polished. But even still, she kept them because they reminded her of Reyn, and how considerate he was.

Even now, whenever Fiora sees a Kneecap Rock, she can’t help but smile fondly. They’re not worth much, but in her memories, they might as well be made of gold.


	3. Confusion Ivy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Confusion Ivy isn’t as much Dunban's friend as he thought it was.

Dunban is fascinated by Confusion Ivy. It has a certain level of tenacity that he can’t help but admire. It grows and grows until there is nowhere else to go, and even then, it  _ keeps growing. _ It never stops. It spreads across everything, blanketing all it touches in lush vegetation.

The ivy reminds him of the Mechon. Just like those lifeless monsters, it consumes everything in its path, swallowing rocks and ether lamps and signposts alike, snuffing out whatever it comes into contact with. And yet, the difference between Confusion Ivy and the Mechon is that it’s a plant that brings vegetation and  _ life _ where there is none, and the Mechon do nothing but  _ kill _ and  _ destroy. _

It’s funny—as much as Dunban is fond of this ivy, he recently had an unfortunate experience with it. Their group had been looking for Soothsayer’s Crypt in Tephra Cave, but had gotten lost somewhere near Vilia Lake. Sharla had suggested going back to the escape pod bay to ask for directions, but Dunban, ever so stubborn, had refused. He was dead set on finding their destination, and he was going to do it without any outside help.

It was another half an hour of wandering around and retracing their steps before Shulk had thought to investigate a huge wall of Confusion Ivy next to an arachno nest. As it turned out, there was a path hidden behind it, as well as an ether lamp that had long since been buried beneath an ocean of leaves. When the party ventured down this path, the place they had been looking for was on the other side. At that point, everyone had collectively agreed that Dunban was never to lead the group again.

It was a major blow to his pride at the time, but looking back, Dunban can’t help but laugh at the memory. To think that something he had come to admire had betrayed him in such a way. A shame, really.

Still, though… Maybe Confusion Ivy isn’t as much his friend as he thought it was.

**Author's Note:**

> The Collectopaedia Zine was designed to look like entires in the Collectopaedia. It was going to include entries written from the points of view of the party members and illustrations to go along with them. I'm sad that the project had to be canceled, but I'm still glad that I had the opportunity to be a part of it. Hopefully you guys enjoyed what I had to offer <3


End file.
